Puri, Jan.16 : Two devotees, one of them a minor, fell unconscious inside the Jagannath temple here on Sunday as there was a huge rush since early morning for getting a glimpse of the deities. One minor girl Divya Sahu of Pithapur, Cuttack and a 65-year-old woman Sulochana, Sahu of Puri fell unconscious and were rushed to the district headquarter hospital where they were administered medication and later discharged.
Every day the rush of devotees to Sri mandir has been increasing, with the numbers further swelling on weekends and holidays.
Devotees since early morning wait for hours in the queue to enter the temple to watch the ritual of Magal Arati of the Trinity, the presiding deities of the 12th-century shrine.
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Additional superintendent of Police Mihir Panda maintained there was no stampede inside the temple. The devotees due to the rush felt suffocated.
Adequate police arrangements were put in place to ensure the devotees had a hassle-free rip,
The locals opine that the devotees were getting tired while waiting in queue for hours together and the administration should take steps to minimise their waiting time in the queue.
